Travelogue Part A

  3. RAJGIR

On January 1, 1989, I went with my wife and the daughters on a visit to Rajgir, Nalanda, and the nearby places of religious and historical importance. We boarded the Doon Express from Howrah in the afternoon and reached Rajgir the next afternoon, changing the train on the way. At Rajgir, we stayed in the Youth Hostel of the Govt. of West Bengal. It was not a well-maintained accommodation and needed a lot of improvement. However, we had to bear with it in the absence of any better accommodation within our means. With Rajgir as centre, we visited Nalanda, Pawapuri, Gaya and Buddha Gaya.

Rajgir was the first capital of the kingdom of Magadha, a state that eventually evolved into the great Mauryan empire. Its old name was Rajagriha meaning, abode of kings. It is sacred to the memory of the founder of both the religions of Buddhism and Jainism. Viswa Shanti Stupa at Rajgir is one of the 80 Peace Pagodas around the world. Rajgir is famous for its hot water spring, locally known as Brahmakund. Its water has curative properties and is sacred to Hindus, Buddhas, and Jains. Rajgir is also famous for its association with King Bimbisara & Ajatashatru. Ajatashatru kept his father Bimbisara in captivity here.

Nalanda is famous as the ancient seat of learning. Hieun Tsang stayed here in the 7th century AD and left a detailed description of the excellence of the education system and purity of monastic life practiced here. He gave a vivid account of both the ambiance and architecture of this unique university of ancient times. 2,000 teachers and 10,000 monks students from all over the Buddhist world lived and studied in this first residential international university of the world. The Gupta kings patronized these monasteries, built in old Kushan architectural style, in a row of cells around a courtyard.

Pawapuri is a holy site for Jains located in the district of Nalanda at a distance of about 38kms from Rajgir. Around 5th Century BCE, Mahavira, the last of the twenty-four Tirthankara, achieved Moksha or Nirvana. He was cremated at Pawapuri, also known as Apapuri (the sinless town). A large quantity of soil having been extracted while collecting his sacred ashes,  a pond was created at his cremation site. In the middle of this pond situates a Jain temple called Jal Mandir.

Bodh Gaya is a religious site and a place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in the Gaya district, in the state of Bihar. It is famous as it is the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have obtained Enlightenment.

Gaya: On way to Bodh Gaya we visited Gaya. Gaya is a city of ancient historical and mythological significance. It is a place sanctified by the Jain, the Hindu, and the Buddhist religions. Situated on the bank of Falgu or Nilanjana river, it is surrounded by small rocky hills on all three sides. There are ghats, temples, and shrines along the bank of river Falgu. Time being short, we could visit only Bishnupad Temple, which is the most famous temple of Gaya. There is a footmark of Lord Vishnu incised into a block of Basalt.  It is said to signify the act of Lord Vishnu subduing Gayasur by placing his foot on the chest of Gayasur.

4. DARJEELING

My first visit to Darjeeling was in 1980-81 when I was posted as the Deputy Director of Census Operations for the North Bengal region. Even though I had been stationed at nearby Mekliganj for more than four years, from 1968 to 1972, I did not have the opportunity to visit Darjeeling at that time. During my term as Deputy Director of Census in 1980-81, I extensively toured Darjeeling and other districts of North Bengal. Unfortunately, I could not keep a photographic record of those memorable moments as I did not possess any camera those days.

Later, I had visited Darjeeling many times when I was posted as the Deputy Secretary to the Governor of West Bengal from January 1990 to January 1992. During that period. I had visited Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong on several occasions, sometimes alone and sometimes with the family. These visits were mostly during the summer and the pre-winter camps of the Governor in Darjeeling.  These visits were, however, made at other times, too, to oversee arrangements preparatory to the Governor’s camp.  After one such preparatory visit, possibly in September 1991, when we were on our way back to Calcutta, we ran into a heavy landslide on the Hill-cart road, the lifeline of Darjeeling. My section officer in immediate charge of the Governor’s household was with me. We had reached the landslide site by car, but there was no way to go beyond. With our luggage on the back of a locally employed porter, who acted as our guide too, we tracked through a hilly path to reach the point from where we could avail of transport.  After such a hazardous journey, we finally reached Calcutta. Governor, Prof. S. Nurul Hasan, had got the information on landslides. When I met him next, he remarked, "So, you have returned in one piece". He was a jovial person. Here are some of the photographs of memorable moments I had caught on camera during those trips. Few others I have posted in the Rajbhawan portion of my service life.

On the 22nd December 1997, I and one of my junior colleagues, Susanta Sen, started with our families for a visit to Delhi and Rajasthan.  This was under leave travel concession available to the IAS officers once in a block of 3 years. We started by Howrah-Delhi Rajdhani Express in the afternoon of December 22, 1997, reaching Delhi in the morning of December 23, 1997. I had with me my wife and two daughters, and my colleague had his wife, a son, and a daughter. I had made prior arrangements for our stay at Banga Bhawan in Delhi and circuit Houses at the respective places in Rajasthan. On December 24, we, the members of the two families, visited Agra and Fatehpur Sikri with stopovers at Mathura and Brindaban on the way. We had hired two ambassador cars for the journey. When returning late at night, we had faced a situation difficult to drive. All around, it was covered by mist, and the visibility was extremely poor. However, we reached Delhi safely, though it took longer to cover the distance. The next day, we visited some of the important tourist spots in and around Delhi. These included Lotus Temple, Rajghat, Cremation Ground of Mahatma, Red Fort, Qutub Miner, and Appu House,

On the 26th morning at 6, we started for Jaipur by Satabdi Express. We enjoyed the journey and reached Jaipur at around 10 am. We moved to the Circuit House. After we had settled down at the Circuit House, I and my colleague went out to make transport arrangements for our visit to different places in Rajasthan. We had decided to cover the entire course of the tour in Rajasthan by a hired car for the shortage of time at our disposal. We hired a Tata Sumo, which could accommodate both of our families. In the same afternoon, we went out in that car to visit important places in and around Jaipur. These included Hawa Mahal, Jalmahal, Amber Fort, and Radha-Govind Temple. The next day also, we continued the same programme and visited Nahargarh Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Sisodia Garden, and Galti. Jaipur was quite cold in end-December with the temperature reaching down to 2°C at night.

On the 28th morning, we started for Chittore. On the way, we visited Puskar Lake, Brahma Temple at Puskar, and Ajmer Sheriff Mosque in Ajmer. We reached Chittore in the evening and put up in the Circuit House there. Asoke Gehlot, then ex-CM of Rajasthan, had reached the Circuit House the same evening during his election campaign.

The next morning (Dec 29), we visited Chittore Fort. Inside the fort were scattered the ruins of the Padmini Bhawan, the Jain Temple, the Vijay Tower, and the Shiv Temple, which we had explored. We went up to the highest storey of Vijay Tower by climbing a large number of narrow stairs that spiralled around its central pillar. There were small openings along the stairs at intervals for light to come in. One could have an aerial view of Chittore Fort from the top of the Tower; it presents a distinctive view of one being in the midst of ruins of history all around. Out of fun, I and my wife took two separate snaps in Rajasthani attire at the base of Vijay Tower. My daughters, too, followed suit. The photographs were taken by a local photographer of Chitore and later sent to us at Calcutta.

On the same afternoon, we visited the nearby old, dilapidated city of Menal. Menal is a small village situated in the district of Chittorgarh located on the Chittor-Bundi Road about 90 kilometers from the city. The hamlet is a major attraction in Rajasthan because of its ancient temples, traditional architecture, nature and the rich culture of Rajasthan. Menal is a preferred picnic spot because of its beautiful landscape and proximity to Chittorgarh, Rawatbhata, Mandalgarh, Bhilwara and Shahpura. The ancient monuments and the scenic beauty of the location also draw nature lovers, architecture enthusiasts and photographers who are continually searching for offbeat places. The ruins of the hamlet have a unique vibe and give a glimpse into the lifestyle of the dynasties who ruled the region since the 11th Century AD. The village and the temples were often visited by Prithviraj Chauhan during the summers to escape the heat. The ruins have a story to tell to everyone willing to listen. The famous Menal waterfall is located in the village. It is a crowd puller because of its enormous size that gushes gallons of water, especially during the monsoons. The region surrounding the waterfall is thus home to dense vegetation and a variety of birds and animals. The waterfall has a height of over 150 feet and is located on River Menali, which flows further to meet River Banas and River Badech. We did not have the opportunity to witness its fierce form when we visited.

While at Chittore, we decided to visit Mount Abu. Mt Abu was not in our original itinerary. We did not have any reserved accommodation at Mount Abu as we had for other places. An Additional District Magistrate of Chittore had come to the Circuit House to pay respect. We had requested her to see if accommodation could be arranged for us at Mount Abu. She had tried but failed. It was New Year's Eve, and there was tremendous pressure of the tourists at Mt. Abu. We decided to go to Mt. Abu from Udaipur, the next place on our itinerary, and return the same day after visiting Mt. Abu to avoid a night halt.

The next morning, i.e. 30th Dec, we left for Udaipur, reaching there at around noon. We were accommodated in two adjacent rooms in the Udaipur Circuit House. The Circuit House was beautifully located on Fateh Sagar.

Fateh Sagar Lake is one of the most beautiful and popular attractions in Udaipur, Rajasthan. It is an artificial lake that was built by Maharana Jai Singh in 1678 AD as a part of a water supply system for Udaipur. However, the lake was destroyed by floods and droughts over the years and became dry. In 1889 AD, Maharana Fateh Singh decided to reconstruct the lake by building a stone dam across the Madar River. The dam was named Connaught Dam after the Duke of Connaught, who visited Udaipur during that time. The lake was also renamed Fateh Sagar Lake after Maharana Fateh Singh.

The lake covers an area of 2.4 sq km and has a depth of 11.5 m. It is one of the four lakes that form the Udaipur lake system and is considered the second most important lake after Lake Pichola.

Fateh Sagar Lake is not only a scenic and serene destination, but also a place where one can experience nature, culture, history, and fun all in one.

In the afternoon, we visited the City Palace, Fate Sagar, Pratap Garden, and other landmarks in the city. The city was well-maintained and neat and clean. It was a wonderful city in a natural setting.

In the evening we visited Lake Jaisamand. It presented a unique view of a lake with hills in and around it. Jaisamand Lake is renowned for being the second-largest artificial lake in Asia. It used to be the largest artificial lake in Asia until the Aswan Dam in Egypt was not constructed. Located at a distance of 48 kilometres from the city of Udaipur, it is also known as Dhebar. In 1685, Maharana Jai Singh built this lake during the construction of a dam on the Gomti River. Jaisamand Lake covers an area of 36 square kilometres, it stretches to a length of 14 kilometres and a width of 9 kilometres. The massive dam was constructed on this lake also houses a centrally located Shiva temple. The summer palace of the queen of Udaipur forms a perfect backdrop to the Lake. There are six, intricately carved marble cenotaphs on its embankment. Jaisamand Lake comprises seven islands, of which, one is still inhabited by the tribe of Bhil Minas. Graceful marble steps lead to the water and you can enjoy a lovely boat ride in the mesmerizing waters. Jaisamand Lake is close to the Jaisamand Sanctuary which serves as a habitat to various types of birds, panthers, leopards, deer, wild boars and crocodiles but we did not have the time to visit that sanctuary.

We started for Mt. Abu early next morning (Dec 31). It was about six hour’s journey, and we reached Mt. Abu at around noon. We visited the famous Dilwara Temple, Om Shanti Bhawan housing Brahmakumari's Headquarters, and other beauty spots in the vicinity. Photography in Dilwara Temple was prohibited. Art and sculpture inside the temple were superb, and the temple could only be a comparison of itself. It was already 3 pm by the time we had our lunch after completing the visit. Our driver told us that it would not be safe to travel back at that hour; the night would befall on the way as we would be passing through the Aravallis, and dacoits and snatchers would become active. We were at a loss as to what to do. The driver, who was a local man of Jaipur, took us to the Tourist Office. The Manager told us that there was no room available in the tourist lodge; he could provide us a cottage by the lake, which might not be very comfortable. We had no alternative, and it was the question of only a night. We readily agreed and moved there. Later, we went to see the sunset from a spot called sunset point. It was a beauty to see the sun setting behind the hills . We would have missed a grand natural phenomenon had we left Mt. Abu that day. As night fell, the temperature went down below 0°C, and we started shivering even with all the warm clothes on. In that condition, we had to go to the Tourist Lodge, a few hundred feet away, for our food. I was worried for the children as they are more susceptible to cold. At night we, the elders, had a few sips of brandy to warm us up. My younger daughter had loose motions during the night. We gave her some medicine from the stock that we carried with us. She became better in the morning. Fortunately, there was no major health problem.

We left Mt. Abu at around 8 am the next day (Jan 1, 1998) after buying some medicines for stomach trouble on the way. The road presented a picturesque view with high hills on one side and deep gorges on the other. The Sun played hide and seek with us as we passed through the hills. After leaving the hills, we reached Abu Road, which also connected a road to Gujarat. From Abu Road, we took the road to Udaipur through the Aravalli and then diverted to see the famous Jain Temple at Ranakpur at the suggestion of our driver. The road to Ranakpur was a danger by itself. I have travelled through a large no. of hilly tracts since my teens viz., Lumding-Badarpur rail route in NF Railway, Guwahati-Shillong Road, Shillong-Silchar Road, Chandigarh-Simla Road, Siliguri-Darjeeling Road, Darjeeling Kalimpong Road, Kalimpong-Siliguri Road, Dehradun-Mussoorie Road, Dehradun-Chandigarh Road, Bandipur-Ooty Road, and Ooty-Coimbatore Road. I have never seen such frighteningly deep gorges by the track. The track again was very narrow, giving way to only one vehicle at places. It had sent me a chill down my spine when a few days after our return, I read a newspaper report that an MLA fell into a gorge on this route with his Maruti car and died. Anyway, we safely returned to Udaipur that evening and stayed at the Circuit house for the night. Our driver was very proficient in driving.

This what Wikipedia says about this temple Ranakpur: Ranakpur Jain temple or Chaturmukh Dharana Vihara is a Svetambara Jain temple at Ranakpur dedicated to Tirthankara Rishabhanatha. The temple is located in the village of Ranakpur near Sadri town in the Pali district of Rajasthan.

Darna Shah, a local Jain businessperson, started construction of the temple in the 15th century following a divine vision. The temple honours Adinath, the first Tirthankar of the present half-cycle (avasarpiṇī) according to Jain cosmology. The Ranakpur temple is one of the largest and most important temples of Jain culture. The campus includes various temples such as Chaumukha Temple, Surya Temple, Suparshvanatha Temple and Amba Temple.

Ranakpur along with Muchhal Mahavir, Narlai, Nadol and Varkana forms "Gorwad Panch Tirth

The next morning (Jan 2, 1998), we started our return journey to Jaipur via Nathdwara. Nathdwara, located on the bank of Banas River at a distance of 48 kms, northeast of Udaipur, is famous for its temple of Krishna, which houses the idol of Srinathji, a 14th-century 7-year-old infant incarnation of Lord Krishna. At Nathdwara, we visited the Krishna Temple. My wife purchased a brass statue of Balgopal there. Later, she installed the deity at home and started the annual celebration of Janmashtami.

We reached Jaipur in the evening and halted for the night. We paid the driver's rent for the hired car and released him with our compliments for good driving. The next day we visited Hawa Mahal and some other important places in Jaipur city, made some purchases, and left for Delhi in the evening. Thus ended our trip to Rajasthan.

I must express here my gratitude to two persons, but for whom we could not have completed our Rajasthan visit, with such comfort and completeness. One of them was my batch-mate in the IAS Induction Training Programme, Mr. Ram Rakh. He was the District Magistrate of Dausa, Rajasthan, at that time. He had made all the arrangements for our stay at Circuit Houses in different places in Rajasthan. It was at his instance that the ADM, Chittore came to look us up in the Circuit House there. Though we could not meet him personally during our trip, we had felt his presence wherever we went. The other was the Driver of the Car we hired. He guided us through our tours and was always available with a smiling face.

On the evening of January 3, 1998, we left for Delhi by Shatabdi Express, reached there at around 9 pm, and halted at Banga Bhawan.

The next day we visited some of the tourist spots in Delhi, which we wanted to see, but could not cover in the first phase. These included Tin-Murti Bhawan, the spot where Indira Gandhi was assassinated, India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhawan, Bengalee Kalibari, and Birla Mandir. During our visit, we came across the wife and son of Dr Abhijeet Tarafdar of Calcutta at Teen Murti Bhawan.

On the 5th of January, we started on our return journey by Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani Express. We reached Howrah the next morning and moved to our respective residences. There ended our Delhi-Rajasthan trip.

It was a wonderful tour. We all and more so, the children of both families, had enjoyed it, the most. It would remain in our memory for a long time to come.

8. NORTH BENGAL - 2002, 2005

I visited Jalpaiguri & Cooch Behar on an official tour as Joint Commissioner (Reservation) & ex-officio Joint Secretary, Backward Classes Welfare Department in March 2002. I took along my wife and younger daughter. My elder daughter had already been married off. We stayed in the Circuit Houses at respective places. I was to visit Darjeeling after Cooch Behar. But that tour had to be cancelled due to unavoidable circumstances. Instead, we spent a few days at Malbazar, in the house of my niece from my wife's side. After my official work was over at Cooch Behar, we left for Malbazar by a car provided by the Deputy Commissioner, Cooch Behar. On the way, we visited a village fair at Banarhat, Tufanganj, and later, the Tiger sanctuaries at Rajabhatkhawa and Madarihat. At Madarihat and Rajabhatkhawa, we saw tigers and their calves kept in captivity under the care of the Forest Department. We also visited Forest Department’s museum at Rajabhatkhawa. We reached Malbazar in the evening.

At Malbazar lives Kittu, the eldest daughter of one of my sisters-in-law, with her husband Nirmal and their children. They have a son Rahul and a daughter Rini. Nirmal’s elder brother Nilmani Roy and his family also live there. They were very cordial and welcomed us heartily. They had a Petrol Pump, a Tea Garden, and other businesses. They also possessed a no. of cars. During our stay, the elder Roy would take me along in his jeep, which he drove, to the market and other places of interest at Malbazar. We visited Garumara Forest and also had been to the Tea Garden Guest House of theirs’. I had released the Govt. car that brought us from Cooch Behar the day after we had arrived at Malbazar. Nirmal also took us to Kurseong, when his son Rahul went to join his classes there, after the vacation. We had a good time at Malbazar. We enjoyed our visit to North Bengal and returned to Calcutta by train from New Jalpaiguri.

This was my third visit to South India. I had first visited a part of it, more specifically, Mysore, in the late 1970s for a training course under DPAP, which I have briefly described on the page "Service Career, Part 1" of this website. I had visited South India somewhat extensively during our Bharat Darshan Programme under the IAS induction training Course in 1997. I have already given a brief description of that visit in the chapter on 15th Posting under Service Career Pt 1 of this website. 

It was the third visit when I took my wife and younger daughter along. My elder daughter had been married off. We started from Howrah by the Coromondol Express on the 14th of May 2002 in the afternoon. We reached Chennai the next afternoon at 15:35 hrs. In mid-May, Chennai was extremely hot. We put up in the Youth Hostel of the West Bengal Govt. in Chennai, where we had our accommodation booked. Like other Youth Hostels, this too was in very bad shape, though it had some rooms provided with AC. We were allotted an AC room. My daughter was very upset on seeing the condition of the room and had refused to stay in it. It took a long persuasion to make her agree to stay. The location of the Hostel was, however, very convenient. It was on the main road, nearer the station, and there were good hotels for Bengali food around. We could have good Bengali food at a reasonable price there. 

On the day of arrival in the late afternoon, we had visited Marina Beach, Vivekanandar Illam, Fish Aquarium at Marina Beach, and Kapaleeshwarar Temple.  

Marina Beach is a natural urban beach in Chennai along the Bay of Bengal. It is 6 Kms long and runs from Fort St. George in the north to Foreshore Estate in the south. It is the longest urban beach in India. It is primarily sandy with an average width of 300 mts. In the Aquarium maintained at the beach, there was a flying tortoise, which we all saw for the first time

Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Siva, situated at Mylapore in Chennai. The form of Shiva's consort Parvati worshipped at this temple is called Karpagambal , a Tamil word meaning Goddess of the Wish Yielding Tree. The temple was built around the 7th century CE and is an example of Dravidian architecture.  According to the Puranas, Shakti worshipped Siva in the form of a Peacock called Mylai in Tamil. Hence, the area around the temple is called Mylapore.  

The building now called Vivekanandar Illam, facing the Bay of Bengal, was constructed by Frederic Tudor in 1842 as a facility for the storage of ice. When Swami Vivekananda visited Madras in 1897, he stayed here from February 6 to 14. In honor of Swami Vivekananda, the building was later renamed Vivekanandar Illam. People visit it to pay respect and pray. It is now maintained by Ramakrishna Mission and houses an exhibition on the life of Swamiji.

The next day we went on a conducted tour in and around the city. On our way back from Bangalore, when we revisited Chennai, we went to Mahabalipuram. I had some official business, too, at DM, Mysore's office. We left Chennai for Mysore on the 17th morning by Chennai-Mysore Satabdi Express. We reached Mysore at 14:20 hrs. and put up at the PWD Bungalow. The accommodation was arranged by the District Magistrate’s Office at my request sent earlier. The District Magistrate had also placed a car at our disposal for local journies. Two staff members of DM's office were detailed to accompany us during our local site-seeing trips.  

As it was late, we could visit only Chamundi Temple that afternoon. We offered puja there.  Chamundeswari Temple is situated 3000 ft above sea level in Chamundi Hill 13 Kms from Mysore city. It is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Chamundeswari, a fierce form of Shakti. The tutelary deity had been held in reverence by Maharajas of Mysore for ages. It is believed that Goddess Durga had slain the demon king Mahishasura on the top of this hill which he ruled. The  Chamundeswari temple is considered, as Shakti Peetha, where, it is said, the hair of Sati fell.  The original shrine is thought to have been built in the 12th century by the Rulers of the Hoysala Dynasty, while its tower portion was probably built by the Rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 17th century. In 1659, a staircase of one thousand steps was built leading up to the 3000-foot summit of the hill. At the temple are several images of Nandi (the bull mount of Shiva).

The next day we visited the following places: 

1. Mysore Palace

The Mysore Palace is a historical palace and was the royal residence of the erstwhile Kingdom of Mysore. It is the official residence of the Wadiyar dynasty. The palace is situated at the centre of Mysore, facing the Chamundi Hills on the east.  The land on which the palace now stands was originally known as mysuru (literally, citadel), and is now called, the new Fort. Yaduraya built the first palace inside the Old Fort in the 14th century, which burnt ablaze. It was reconstructed multiple times. The old fort was constructed using wood and so could easily catch fire. The present fort was made up of stone, bricks, and wood. It was constructed between 1897 and 1912 after the Old Palace had burnt ablaze. The palace is now one of the most famous tourist attractions in India, with annual visitors above 6 million.

The architectural style of domes of the palace is commonly described as Indo-Saracenic, with blends of the Hindu, Mughal, Rajput, and Gothic styles. It is a three-story stone structure with marble domes and has a 145-foot five-story tower. The palace is surrounded by a large garden. The entrance gate and arch hold the emblem and coat of arms of the kingdom of Mysore, around which is written the kingdom's motto in Sanskrit: "न बिभॆति कदाचन" (never terrified). 

The main complex is 245 Ft in length and 156 Ft in width. The palace has three entrances: the East Gate (the front gate, opened only during the Dasara and for dignitaries), the South Entrance (for public), and the West Entrance (usually opened only during the Dasara). The three-story stone building of a fine grey granite with deep pink marble domes has a facade with several expansive arches and two smaller ones flanking the central arch, which is supported by tall pillars. Above the central arch is a sculpture of Gajalakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, prosperity, fortune, and abundance with her elephants. There are three major exclusive temple buildings within the Old Fort and about 18 inside the palace heart building. The palace was built adjacent to the even older Parakala Mutt headquarters, whose leaders have remained the rajagurus (royal teacher and guide) of Mysore kings. The kings of Mysore were devotees of Goddess Chamundi, hence the palace's faces the Chamundi Hills.

The palace houses two durbar halls (ceremonial meeting halls of the royal court) and incorporates an array of courtyards, gardens, and buildings.

2. The place where Tipu Sultan’s body was found after he had been killed by the British

Tipu Sultan was a fierce warrior. During the fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799, when the British Forces broke through the wall of the fort city of Srirangapattanam, his French military advisor told Tipu to escape through secret passages and fight from other forts, but Tipu refused and fought valiantly from his existing location. He was killed at the Hoally (Diddy) Gateway, located 300 yards (270 m) off from the North-east Angle of the Srirangapatna Fort.  The road from Masjid-e-ala towards the Water Gate passes by this point. A memorial in the form of a stone tablet fenced around marks the area where his body was found. 

3. Tipu’s Family graveyard,

The Gumbaz at Srirangapatnam is a Muslim mausoleum at the centre of a landscaped garden, holding the graves of Tippu Sultan, his father Hyder Ali, and his mother, Fakhr-Un-Nisa. It was built by Tippu Sultan to house the graves of his parents. The British had allowed Tippu to be buried here after his death in the Siege of Srirangapatnam in 1799. The cypress garden surrounding the mausoleum is said to have different species of flowering trees and plants collected by Tippu Sultan from Persia, Ottoman Turkey, Kabul, and French Mauritius. The original carved doors of the mausoleum were removed and are now displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The present doors made of ebony and decorated with ivory were gifted by Lord Dalhousie. 

4. Ranganatha Swamy’s Temple

The Ranganthaswamy temple (usually referred to as "Sri Ranganathaswamy") in Srirangapatnam, in the Mandya district of Karnataka state, India, is dedicated to the Hindu god Ranganatha (a manifestation of the god Vishnu). It is one of the five important pilgrimage sites of Sri Vaishnavism along the river Kaveri for devotees of Ranganatha. These five sacred sites are together known as Pancharanga Kshetrams in Southern India. Srirangapatnam being the first temple from the upstream, the deity is known as Adi Ranga (lit; "first Ranga"). The town of Srirangapatnam derives its name from the temple.

According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the temple is one of considerable antiquity. An inscription at the temple reveals it was first consecrated in 984 A.D. by a local chief called Tirumalaiah, a vassal of the Western Ganga dynasty. In the early 12th century, Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana (1108-1152) granted the village of Srirangapatna to the Vaishnava saint Ramanujacharya as an agraharam (place of learning). An inscription of the great Hoysala King Veera Ballala II (1210 A.D.) confirms that additions and renovations were made to the temple at that time. The tower over the entrance bears features consistent with Vijayanagara architecture. According to historian George Michell, contributions were also made by the Wodeyar kings of the Kingdom of Mysore. The temple was not destroyed by Maratha, as claimed; the Marathas were strong Hindu supporters. The temple is just 400 metres away from Tipu palace 

5. Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace, Srirangapattanam.

The Daria Daulat Bagh refers to Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace, which contains Tipu Sultan’s Museum on its ground floor, and is something spectacular. Tipu Sultan’s Museum is an incredible example of Indo-Islamic architecture, and it is reminiscent of the Summer Palace in Bangalore, one of the best things to see in the city because it is also built entirely in teak wood. The museum is rectangular and rests on an elevated platform. It is fully covered from the sun for protection so that its delicate paintings are not damaged with time. The outer part of the building is made of open corridors with pillars, and in the middle, there are a few rooms with exhibits showcasing sketches, coins, weapons (pistols, daggers, cannons, swords), clothing (including Tipu Sultan’s pajamas), and oil paintings of famous characters of the time. Although the building is two-storey, it is hard to find the hidden staircases that go up to the second floor,  and access is not allowed. The outer walls of Tipu Sultan’s Museum depict scenes from battle and are fully covered by the most detailed paintings. Not an inch of the building is left unpainted.

6. Sangama. Srirangapattna

Sangama" is the confluence of 3 holy rivers Kaveri River, Lokapavani River & Hemavati River. It is in Srirangapatna, Mandya. 

We had visited Sangam at sunset time. We found devotees taking holy dips in the river. We rowed in the river Kavery near the confluence in an improvised boat made of cane of the shape of a round basket. It was a unique experience. There was a small highland in the river with a large flock of birds nesting on treetops. We were boating at sunset. It presented a wonderful sight with the rays of the setting sun glimmering on the water.

We stayed in Mysore up to the morning of May 19 in the first lap. On the 19th of May at around 09:30 am, we left for Ooty by bus of the Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and reached there in the afternoon. The officials of Tamilnadu Govt received us at the bus stand and took us to the Coonoor guest house by their car.  Mr. A. S. Jeevarathinam, one of my batch-mates from Tamilnadu in the IAS induction training course, had arranged our reception and accommodation there. We had stayed in the Indcoserve Guest House at nearby Coonoor up to May 22. The guest house belonged to a tea garden run by a cooperative society; it was well maintained with all necessary facilities and provisions. Our stay there was quite comfortable. During our stay there, another IAS officer from West Bengal, Sumantra Guha, had arrived with his wife and stayed in the same Guest House. We had got acquainted. 

Centering Coonoor, we had visited tourist spots in Ooty and Coonoor by a taxi hired on contract. We had visited Ooty Lake, Rose Garden, Ooty Botanical Garden, Dodaveta, Dolphin's Nose, Catherine Falls, Sim's Park, and other places of tourist interest. 

1. Ooty, officially known as Udhagamandalam, is a town and municipality in the Nilgiris district of Tamilnadu. It is situated 86 km north-west of Coimbatore and 128 km south of Mysore. It is the headquarters of the Nilgiris district and a popular hill station in Nilgiri Hills. It is a picturesque town and was the summer capital of the Madras Presidency. Hills here are beautifully wooded and have springs with running water in every valley. Originally a tribal land occupied by Badaga. Toda, Kuta, Irula, and Kurumba people, it was taken over by the East India Company at the end of the 18th century.  It was later developed by the Britishers to a full-fledged Hill station. 

(a) Ooty Lake:   It covers an area of 65 acres. It has a boathouse alongside, which provides a boating facility, once a major attraction for the tourists. It was constructed in 1824 by John Sullivan, the first Collector of Ooty. The lake was formed by damming the mountain streams flowing down Ooty valley. During our visit to the lake, we had found almost the whole of the lake covered by water hyacinth signifying disuse and a lack of maintenance over a period.  

(b) The Government Rose Garden, Ooty: Formerly known as Centenary Rose Park, it is the largest rose garden in India. It is situated at an altitude of 2200 metres on the slopes of Elk Hills at Vijaynagaram in Ooty town. With more than 20000 varieties of roses of 2800 cultivars, it has the largest collection of roses in the country.  The collection includes hybrid tea roses, Miniature Roses, Polyanthas, Papagena, Floribunda, Ramblers, Yakimour, and roses of unusual colours like black and green. 

(c) Ooty Botanical Garden:  Spread over an area of 22 acres, it was laid out in 1847 and is maintained by the Government of Tamilnadu. It is lush green and well-maintained. A flower show along with an exhibition of rare plant species is held in May every year. The garden has a 2-million-year-old fossilized tree. The gardens have around a thousand species, both exotic and indigenous, of plants, shrubs, ferns, trees, herbal and bonsai plants. There are formations of various shapes with flowers and plants within the garden. 

2. Coonoor and adjoining areas: Coonoor is a taluk and municipality in the Nilgiris district of Tamilnadu. The town is the second largest in the Nilgiris after Ooty.  It is inhabited predominantly by the Hindus with 61.81% of the population, followed by Christians with 23.99%, and Muslims with 13.01%. It has an average elevation of 1850 metres (6070 feet) above MSL and a subtropical highland climate. The town of Coonoor is broadly divided into two geographies - Lower Coonoor and Upper Coonoor. Lower Coonoor hosts the main Bus Depot, the Railway Station as also the bustling market complex. Upper Coonoor hosts locations like UPASI, Bedford, and Sim's Park. 

(a) Sim's Park:  The park is situated in a deep ravine on the northern side of Coonoor railway station at an elevation of 1768 to 1798 metres above MSL. It extends over an area of 12 hectares of undulating land and possesses several natural advantages. It came into existence due to the pioneer efforts of the early European settlers. It was inaugurated in December 1874 due to the efforts of Mr. J.D. Sim, Secretary to Government, and Major Murray, acting Superintendent of the Nilgiris forests. The park was named after Mr. Sim. This park-cum-botanical garden was developed around the natural contours of the land more than a hundred years ago. Ethnic trees, shrubs, and creepers co-habit with many unusual species of foliage brought in from various parts of the world.  Rudraksha – the bead tree and Queensland Karry Pine, a handsome ornamental tree, are among the many attractions in this park.   It was a pleasure for us to spend some time in the park and take a few photographs.  

(b) Doddabetta:    It is the highest mountain in the Nilgiris Range. The height of it is 2,637 metres (8,652 feet). There is a reserved forest area around the peak. It is 9 km from Ooty, on the Ooty-Kotagiri Road in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu. It is a popular tourist attraction with road access to the summit. It is the fourth highest peak in South India.

(c) Dolphin's nose viewpoint:  Dolphin's Nose Viewpoint is a tourist spot in Coonoor in the Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu. It is well over 1,550 Meter (5075 Feet) above sea level, 10 km from Coonoor, and is a spectacular spot to visit. The tip of the peak resembles a dolphin's nose, hence the name Dolphin's Nose. It is an enormous rock formation that is entirely unique. There are gigantic ravines both to the left and the right of the Dolphin's Nose. It offers an inspiring view of Catherine Falls with its continuing stream falling several thousand metres below at a relatively short distance, opposite the Dolphin's Nose.  

(d) Catherine Falls: It is a double-cascaded waterfall located in Kotagiri and is a major tourist spot. The upper fall drops to the floor and is the second-highest in the Nilgiri Mountains. The waters from the upper stream of the Kallar River are crossed by the invisible Mettupalayam-Ooty road branching off at Aravenu beyond the mountains in the southwest. The combined height of both falls is about 76 metres (250 ft). Catherine Falls is named after the wife of Mr. M.D. Cockburn, who is believed to have introduced the coffee plantations in Kotagiri. The native name of Catherine Falls is Geddhehaada Halla, meaning "Foothills Dale River". The entire waterfall can  be seen from the top of the Dolphin Nose. It is also possible to take a road to the top of the falls located on the Mettupalayam road. We had viewed the falls from the Dolphin Nose. That was spectacular.

 (e) Lamb's Rock View Point: It is at a distance of 8 km from Coonoor. It is a tourist spot on the slopes of the Nilgiris.  A view of Coimbatore plains, tea estates, and coffee estates can be had from here. The viewpoint was named after the then Collector Captain Lamb who had developed the area. It is on the way to the Dolphin Nose viewpoint.  The mountain cliff around Lamb's Rock stands at the height of 5000 feet above sea level and stands out by its jagged look. It presents a panoramic view of Coonoor, and one can enjoy the sight of green lush forests covered with clouds. We had visited it on our way to Dolphin Nose. 

 We left Coonoor on May 22 by another hired taxi contracted for the journey to Mysore via Bandipur with an overnight halt at Bandipur. 

We reached Bandipur the same afternoon. On the way, we had a conducted tour inside Madhumali Forest. We halted for a night (May 22) at the Bandipur Forest Bungalow. Here are details about these forests and a description of our visit there. 

Bandipur National Park: Located in Karnataka, the State with the second-largest tiger population, was declared a tiger reserve under  Project Tiger in 1974. Along with adjacent Nagrahole National Park, it is one of the Premier Tiger Reserve in the country. It spans over an area of 874 square kilometers protecting several species of endangered wildlife in India. It is located at a distance of 80 kilometers from Mysore on Mysore-Ooty Road. Forest Department maintains a no. of cottages for the tourists and also runs jungle safaris for them at prescribed charges. We had reserved accommodation for a night stay at Bandipur on May 22 before we started from Calcutta. On our way back from Coonoor to Mysore, we halted here for that night and had an early morning safari the next day.  We did not come across any big animal and could see  Deer including Chital, an Armadillo, peacocks, and a few stray animals. Incidentally, the Sandal Wood Dacoit Veerappan had his hideout here from time to time. 

Madhumalai Forest: It is in Tamilnadu and a continuation of Bandipur Forest of Karnataka. It is also a declared Tiger Reserve. It lies on the north-western side of the Nilgiri Hills in the Nilgiri district. The protected area is home to several endangered and vulnerable species including the Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, gaur, and Indian leopard. There are at least 266 species of birds in the sanctuary, including critically endangered Indian white-rumped vulture and long-billed vulture. It has the highest population of elephants in India. On our way back from Coonoor we had a conducted tour inside this forest. 

After the morning safari in Bandipur, we left for Mysore, reaching there in the afternoon. We stayed in the same PWD Inspection Bungalow, where we had put up earlier on arrival at Mysore, for the 2nd lap of our visit up to May 24. On the 24th of May, we visited local sights in Mysore city in the morning. The same afternoon at 14:20 hrs. we left Mysore for Bangalore by Satabdi Express and reached Bangalore at 16:30 hrs/.

I had requested Divisional Commissioner, Bangalore, for our accommodation in the Kumar Krupa Guest House. Though Commissioner’s office had taken action, accommodation was not available there due to an All India Conference of CPI (M) going on in Bangalore at that time. We had to put up in a hotel. As it was already late, by the time we could settle down in the hotel, we did not go sightseeing that evening. The next two days, we stayed in Bangalore and moved about Bangalore city.  Weather1 in Bangalore, as usual, was quite comfortable. In Bangalore, we visited single rock hill, Tipu Sultan's Summer Resort, and some places around.

On May 27, we left Bangalore for Chennai at 16:20 hrs., by Satabdi Express reaching there the same night at 21:50 hrs. The next day, we stayed in Chennai and visited the local sites. On the 29th, we went to Mahabalipuram in the morning by a hired car. Mahabalipuram was on the sea and had several temples scattered on it. On the way back, we took our daughter to a Dolphin show. She enjoyed seeing Dolphins playing with balls, rings, and other toys. We returned to Chennai the same evening and halted.

On the 30th of May at 09:05 hrs. we left Chennai for Howrah by the Coromondol Express and reached Howrah the next day. This was the second and the last Leave Travel Concession I had availed of in my entire service career. 

Here are some memorable moments from that trip included in the electronic album below. To view the album, click on the body of it , and the album pictures will open on a separate page.  To view the pictures as a slideshow, click on the three dots at the top right of the new tab and select the slideshow option.

11. ASSAM & MEGHALAYA 2007

About three weeks after the marriage of my younger daughter, I and my wife left for a trip to Assam & Meghalaya. I had spent my younger days till graduation in this area. Memories of my childhood and teenage years were associated with this area; the area, therefore, had always had a special appeal to me. It was, however, about 25 years since I last visited these places. 

We took a morning flight to Guwahati on December 9, 2007, and landed at Borjhar (Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi) airport, Guwahati, at around 11-30 hrs. The distance between Borjhar and Guwahati is 21 Kms. My nephew (sister’s son), Ranju, had arranged a car and also accommodation for us in a hotel in Guwahati. We moved by that car and reached Hotel Indira, at K. C. Sen Road, Paltan Bazar, Guwahati, at around 12:30 PM. After lunch and a brief rest in the hotel, we went to visit Kamakshya Temple. I have already given a description of this temple and its surroundings on the page on Academic career.

On return, we halted at the hotel for the night. Accommodation at the hotel was more or less satisfactory but, the food was not to our taste. The next morning (Dec 10), I, with my wife, left for Shillong in a hired car. I have described the scenic beauty of the route to Shillong and other details in my recital about college days. This time, I found, the G-S road had been developed and made wider. It was now a three-lane road. There were no more restrictions on the timing for the movement of vehicles on this road. We had our breakfast at Mongpu as we used to have in college days, en route Shillong. I could not, however, find the big restaurant which catered to the needs of the travellers in those days. The quality and varieties of food available were also not like those of the old days. Barapani Electricity Plant, which was under construction at our times, had been completed. A part of the road from Mongpu to Shillong was realigned. Barapani Lake now falls on the way and presents an exquisite view. We made a brief stopover at Barapani after crossing Mongpu to enjoy the beauty of the Lake. (A pic of the lake is posted on the right panel). We reached Shillong at around 2 P.M. and put up in a hotel named Hotel Broadway at Police Bazar. It was off-season in Shillong, and hotel accommodation was not a problem. After settling down at the hotel, we went out to visit Ward’s Lake and places around. We made some purchases at the Police Bazar market. Shillong had changed a good deal. Population and shops in Police Bazar appeared to have increased manifold. New buildings had come up in places. I tried to locate the house of a friend of mine, who used to live nearby and of whom I have spoken in my narrative, on college days, and Friends' Page, but I failed to find out the house. It was the month of December. Shillong was quite chilly, and we could not stay out long. At 8 o’clock, we dined at a restaurant called “Babar Hotel”, opposite the hotel we stayed in. It served good food but was quite costly. After dinner, we retired for the night.

The next morning after a light breakfast, we went to Laitmukhra to visit my old college and hostel. It was a surprise for me when I found St. Anthony’s Higher Secondary School was standing at the site of our old College and Hostel. On inquiry, I learnt that the College had been shifted to a new location down below to the ridge of the hill on which it stood earlier. Later, I came to know that this change of location came about in the year 1984. The College now stood at the end of a narrow one-way road for the smaller vehicles, which had come up in place of the old stairway we used at our times as shortcuts to Police Bazar from a point opposite our college. The Hostel had been housed in a new building at an elevation higher than the College. Before going to the new relocated premises of my old College, we had visited the famous “Mary Help of Christian Church” and the adjoining landmarks.

There was still that hall that had been constructed by the side of our college before our I. Sc. Examination; I had written my I. Sc. Examination in that hall. We then took a taxi for Police Bazar,  got down for a while on the way to the entrance of the College at its new location, had a brief view of the College, and returned to the Hotel; we were in a hurry for returning to Guwahati. Back to the hotel, we checked out, had a quick lunch outside, and left for Guwahati by a hired car. Reaching Guwahati, we went to the same Hotel Indira, where we had put up on arrival from Calcutta. In the evening, my nephew and his daughter joined us and stayed overnight to take us to their place at Mariani.

The next day, Dec 12, at 6 in the morning, we, accompanied by my nephew and his daughter, started for Mariani by Jana Satabdi Express. We reached Mariani at noon and were taken to my sister’s house near the Railway Station. My brother-in-law (Jamaibabu) was bedridden for more than a year, and he kept lying most of the time. We met him and talked for some time. He was not comfortable with speaking for long at a stretch. Later, we had a bath and lunch. We stayed at my sister’s house. I could not sleep during the night due to the sound of passing trains and some physical discomfiture. The next day, we went to Jorhat and put up in my niece’s house (same sister’s daughter). We stayed at Jorhat up to Dec 15. While at Jorhat, I met my old school friends Hiresh and Utpal. This was decades after we had last met. Hiresh now ran tea-leaves selling shop behind the main market. He failed to recognize me when I landed in his shop unannounced. Utpal had retired as a teacher. I and my wife spent some time with Utpal alias Malu and his family at their house at Bansbari on the 14th evening. The locality “Bansbari” had also changed extensively. We once lived in this locality for some time in my school days. But nowhere could I find any resemblance of the present Bansbari with the old one. I went to see my old school and took some snaps of it. It had not changed much over the years. I have described the changes and my views thereon in the page on Academic Career etc.

The school was closed, and I did not have any scope to visit my favourite institution. I moved around for some time in the vicinity to enliven my old memories. There were a good lot of changes undergone; new buildings came up, old ones replaced. I could not find most of our favourite places we roamed around in the older days. I was dismayed.

Anyway, we returned to my sister’s house at Mariani on the 15th Dec evening. We stayed there up to the 19th in this phase. On the 20th Dec, we left for Silchar by train. We passed the hill section of NF Railway on the 20th night and the 21st morning and reached Silchar at noon on the 21st of Dec. I have already described the beauties of nature in this section of the railways while narrating my earlier journey on this route in school days on an earlier page. I am only to add that the route conversion from metre gauze to broad gauze had started in 1996. It was scheduled to be completed in 2003 but was still under execution. The work was progressing at a snail’s pace. We saw it at some places along the track as we moved ahead. Who knew when it would be completed and operational? The conversion will shorten the existing track by about 17 Kms and several small stations in the present section will no longer be there. It will have one of its tunnels (Tunnel No. 10) more than 3-Kms in length. This could be the longest tunnel anywhere in the world.

I have included in the electronic album below some of the pictures that I took during my present journey; these would add to my previous narrative on the beauty of this route. We stayed in Silchar up to Dec 28 with a break of one day on Dec 26 to visit my maternal cousin sisters Sipra, Seema, and cousin brother Babla at Karimganj. All of them were from my mamima, Manju, the second wife of Kutumama, of whom I spoke on the page on "Maternal uncles and cousins" of this website. They had settled with their families at different localities in Karimganj. I had also taken this opportunity to visit my nephews from the eldest sister after a long time. They were still residing at Lakshipur and Dilkhusbasti, both close to Silchar. We left Silchar at 3 PM on Dec 28, 2007, by Silchar-Calcutta Air India Flight and reached home at 5 P. M. There ended my tour to Assam and Meghalaya that I took after 25 years of my last visit.

Below is an electronic album of photographs of some memorable moments of this visit. To view the album, click on the body of it; the album pictures will open on a separate page. To view the pictures as a slideshow, click on the three dots  at the top right of the new tab and select the slideshow option.

12. MY EXPLORATORY TRIP TO ASSAM & MEGHALAYA, 2014

Since the end of 2013, I had been feeling an urge to visit Assam & Meghalaya, the states where I had spent my childhood and teens, to explore some of the important places that I did not have the opportunity to visit that far and to have a better insight into those I had visited earlier. I had also a desire to find some old friends who had been close to me and with whom I had lost contact over the years. I decided to move alone to have more free time to reach my goal. I finally made up my mind, made preparations, and booked passage for the journey to commence on March 2, 2014, and end on March 19, 2014. It was also the time during which weather in Assam remained pleasant. But due to subsequent developments requiring my presence at home, I had to re-schedule my tour from March 13 to March 27, 2014. I also had to change the mode of transport for onward journey due to the shortening of the duration of the trip. Before I left, I had collected phone nos. of some of my old friends still living in Assam from my friends here.

Accordingly, I took a flight to Guwahati, on the 13th March, at 1315 hrs., reaching there at around 1410 hrs., and moved to the Mahalaxmi Indo-Myanmar hotel at Paltan Bazar where I had booked my accommodation. The single-seated room in which I was put up in the hotel was very small, suffocating, and uncomfortable. The rent was too high for a room of that size and its amenities. I immediately started thinking of shifting from this hotel.

On my way from the airport (named after Gopinath Bordoloi2, the first Prime Minister of undivided Assam to the hotel,) I had come through areas locating important Govt. Offices., High Court, and Chief Justice’s residence. I also came across a beautiful park with flowering plants around a big waterway named Dighalpukuri Park. After settling down in the hotel, I went out to move around in the city. I took a rickshaw to go to the Railway Station. The rickshaw dropped me at the back of the station from where there was no access to the front.It made me take a long walk, making me acquainted with important landmarks in the areas I went through. In the process, I suddenly came upon Dighalpukuri Park, which I had seen earlier on my way to the city and had planned to take a snapshot of it. I immediately made use of the opportunity which presented itself and took a few snapshots of the waterway with its surroundings. Moving ahead, I came across the Assam State Museum beautifully situated, at the heart of the city, in scenic surroundings. I clicked the shutter a couple of times to frame the building and its surroundings in my camera.

As I moved on further, I passed Reserve Bank Building and came across the Tourist Lodge named Prasanti of Assam Tourism. I entered the premises of the Lodge to enquire about the availability of accommodation and its tariff. To my pleasure, I found that accommodation was available and the charges were also quite reasonable. I immediately booked accommodation for the 16th March. Later, after consultation on check-out requirements with the hotel, I preponed the booking at the Prasanti Lodge from 16th March to 14th onward. From the lodge, I moved to the Railway Station, which I found located within walking distance from the lodge. At the station, I had some refreshments and then returned to the hotel by crossing the over-bridge connecting this side of the station and the Paltan Bazar side of it. I found that the station was quite close to the hotel of my stay, and the rickshaw had made me take a roundabout route to reach it. 

Late evening, I rang up Bela Pal neé Chatterjee, who had been my classmate in the school and with whom I did not have any contact for decades. She was elated on getting my phone call, invited me to her residence, and offered to pick me up from the hotel the next morning. 

I also talked to Mumpi, daughter of a nephew (sister’s son's daughter) who had been studying in Guwahati. She proposed to come to my place to see me the next afternoon. Later, I talked to one of my maternal cousins Dipu, who lived in Guwahati, to inform him of my presence in Guwahati. He was very happy to know it and wanted to take me to his house the next evening.

On the 14th morning, after being ready for going out, I went for a quick and light breakfast in the next-door restaurant. On my return to the hotel, I found a lady sitting in the lobby. As I asked the hotel receptionist for the keys to my room, the receptionist, while handing over the key to me, told the waiting lady in the lobby that I was the gentleman she was looking for.  Neither Bela nor I could recognize each other. It was a meet after decades, and we had changed a lot. I took Bela into my room, snapped a couple of shots of her with my camera, and then got out with my luggage. I checked out of the hotel, kept luggage in the hotel luggage room, and left for Bela’s house. Bela had come in an auto-rickshaw and had kept it waiting. We travelled by that auto. After about half an hour’s drive, we reached Bela’s house. She was living at the far end of the city after crossing Dispur and Downtown hospital. She had in her family her husband, only son, daughter-in-law, and twin grandsons. We talked about our old days as also our school friends. I had enjoyed the time I spent with Bela and her family, had a good breakfast, and left. Bela’s husband dropped me back at the hotel. (Sadly, Bela is no more. She expired on March 28, 2020. For more on her, refer to Friends' Page)

On reaching the hotel, I collected my luggage and moved to Prasanti Tourist lodge, where I had booked my accommodation earlier. After a while, my granddaughter Mumpi, whom I had mentioned yesterday, came with two of her friends Pritisma and Abhijit. I took them to lunch. After Mumpi and her friends had left, I had a little rest and then went to Assam State Transport Corporation’s office to buy advance tickets for Shillong for the 16th March. There, I had learnt that the advance tickets were sold only a day before the date of the journey. I had also obtained information on the Air-conditioned bus service to Kaziranga and then returned to the lodge.

On the 15th, I was to make a local site-seeing trip in the forenoon. As I had arranged with him, the auto-driver who had brought me to the lodge yesterday was to pick me up at 07:30 am. I waited for him till 08:00 am, but he did not turn up. I went out in search of a Pharmacy for eye drops. I was having the irritation of conjunctivitis in my right eye since last evening. I needed a particular kind of eye drops. I could not find any medicine shop which kept that particular medicine, even after walking for about a mile and a half. I returned disgusted and took a cycle rickshaw for Kacharighat to avail of the ferry to Peacock Island, where centuries’ old Umananda Temple situates. I went on board the government-owned motorboat placed for ferrying passengers. It was around 0830 a.m. Learnt from other passengers, already waiting there that they had been told that the ferry would leave at 0900 a. m. But when there was no sign of its leaving even at 0915 hrs., and it came to my knowledge that the ferry could leave only after 10 am, I, along with those waiting, left for a separate ghat from where private ferry services operated. There, we hired a private motorboat at ₹80 per head. The cost included a journey to and from the temple with waiting for an hour to visit the temple. On disembarking on the island, I was disappointed as I observed the height at which the temple was situated and the stairs to be climbed to reach it. I doubted if it would at all be possible for me to reach that height, at my age of 71, and that, too, with high BP. However, on climbing to the first landing of the stairs, I found to my relief that there was an alternative route with a slow gradient, which I could ride. I felt encouraged and started walking up. I reached the top without any discomfort, visited the temples and the surroundings, and took a few photographs. I climbed down through the stairway, which was an easy task. Later, I crossed the Brahmaputra back to Guwahati by the same boat by which I had come. 

Peacock Island is the smallest inhabited riverine island in the middle of river Brahmaputra off from Guwahati. The island is famous for a very old Siva temple called Mahakal Temple, locally known as Umananda temple. According to Wikipedia, the temple was built by Ahom King Gadadhar Singha (1681 – 1696), who was a devout Shaivite. The temple is situated on a hill called Bhasmacala.

On reaching back to Guwahati, I walked to the nearby Janardhan temple. The Janardhan temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is situated in the heart of the city at Sukreshwar hillock near Sukreswar Ghat of the Brahmaputra river. The temple consecrated in the 10th century was rebuilt in the 17th century. It is a unique blend of Hindu and Buddhist styles of architecture and has an image of the Lord Buddha. It is also dedicated to Lord Buddha. 

I took a few photographs of the interior and exterior faces of the Janardhan temple and left. I had missed Sukreswar Temple this time but had visited it on my next trip with my wife.

After walking some distance, I reached an auto-stand and hired an auto to visit Nabagraha temple. On the way, I bought the eye drops I was searching for. Nabagraha Temple is located on the top of Chitrachal hill, which according to the auto driver, was higher than the Kamakshya hills. But there was no problem of climbing here; auto went up to the entrance of the temple. I climbed the few stairs to the temple. It was pitch dark inside and the puja and the offerings were made in candlelight. The passage was not visible, and there were ups and downs; I slipped a couple of times but somehow saved myself from falling. Took a few snapshots of the pujas and the deities inside and came out. Like in other holy places, here, too, there was the menace of monkeys. I caught some of them on my camera. With a section of the city of Guwahati on the one side and that of the Brahmaputra on the other,  it presents picturesque views from the temple area. 

The Navagraha temple was built by Ahom King Rajeswar Singha in the late 18th century. The temple tower was destroyed by an earthquake. It had been renovated during late 1923-45. As the name indicates, this temple is dedicated to the nine planets in the solar system. Navagraha Temple at Guwahati, Assam is a center of astrological and astronomical research.

Enshrined here are nine Shivalingams, representing the nine Celestial bodies, each covered with a symbolic colored garment of its own, with the Shiva lingam in the centre symbolizing the Sun. The nine planetary gods, namely area - Surya (Sun), Chandra (Moon), Mangala (Mars), Budha (Mercury), Brihaspati (Jupiter), Sukra (Venus), Sani (Saturn), Rahu, and Ketu. Surya Pooja (or) Sun worship is ancient practise among the Assamese people. There is no Light inside the Temple and is lit only by oil lamps.

After visiting the temple returned to the lodge, freshened up, had lunch, and rested.

That afternoon, at around 4 PM, I went to the STC Depot to buy tickets for the next day's journey to Shillong but was disappointed to learn that buses would not ply to Shillong the next day due to the Holi festival. On inquiry at the taxi stand, I learnt that taxi services to Shillong would operate as usual. I returned to the lodge and waited for my cousin Dipu. 

Dipu came at around 7 pm to take me to his house, as he had arranged the previous evening. I went on his motorbike as a pillion rider. It was a varied experience. I had last ridden a two-wheeler in the 1980s when I had been to Jamshedpur in the house of my brother-in-law (wife’s cousin sister’s husband), who had taken me around in his scooter. During my ride with Dipu after long years, I had felt falling at times but could hold on. Halfway through, the bike started giving troubles and stopped moving altogether in the middle of a railway track somewhere close to Dipu’s house. Dipu, however, set it right quickly, and we finally reached the destination. There I met my maternal aunt (PUKAN mama’s wife, whom I introduced in ‘the page on "My maternal uncles and cousins" of this website) Satyabhama Devi and my sister-in-law (Dipu’s wife) Mina for the first time. I spent some time with them, had a high tea, and returned to the lodge again by the motorbike, this time driven by Dipu’s younger son Kingshuk. Back to the lodge, I obtained the bill and paid charges to facilitate the early morning check-out on the next day to be able to start for Shillong on time.

This day, the 16th of March, 2014,  was the day of colours (Holi). I left the lodge at 0800 am with my luggage. Went to Guwahati Railway Station and crossed the over-bridge there to reach Shillong-Guwahati Taxi stand at Paltan Bazar. As the porter demanded an exorbitant charge, I carried the luggage through the over-bridge by myself. The luggage comprised a trolley-fitted suitcase, not much heavy, and a briefcase. Availed of a shared taxi and left Guwahati for Shillong at 0900 am. I found that hiring charges for taxis in Guwahati had doubled in seven years. When I came with my wife in 2007, I had hired a taxi for Shillong exclusively for us at ₹600. This time they demanded ₹1200 for the same journey. Anyway, I availed of a shared taxi this time at ₹300 per head. As always, Guwahati-Shillong Highway presents an exquisite look. I was in the front seat of the taxi and in a convenient position to take camera shots. I took a large number of photographs of the meandering roads with construction work in progress at places. (One such photograph is posted on the right) panel.  At many places, the work of converting the existing two-lane road to a 4-Lane one was in progress. Hills were cut to make way for the road, a classic case of destruction of the environment in the name of development. It hurt me to see the way men were intruding into nature indiscriminately.

I reached Shillong at around 11:30 am and approached Hotel Broadway at Police Bazar for accommodation. This was the hotel where we had stayed during our visit in 2007. The hoteliers told me they had only one single room available, and I could take it if it suited. I saw the room; it was too small and in poor shape. But I was terribly tired and somewhat indisposed. I could not move around for an alternative accommodation pulling the luggage along; no porter was available. I was thus forced to accept the offer and take possession. After freshening, I had my lunch in the restaurant (Baba’s Hotel-cum-restaurant which had been introduced in my previous visit in 2007) opposite the hotel of my stay, came back and rested for a while. I went out later, in the afternoon, and moved along Jail Road in Police Bazar in an attempt to locate the house where our College day friend Kishu alias Rajarshi Bhattacharjee3 lived. I made a couple of rounds on Jail Road but failed to find out the house we had visited many times in our college days. One of my principal objectives behind visiting Shillong was to find the whereabouts of Kishu, but I failed. I was greatly disappointed.

I then moved towards Ward’s lake, took a couple of photographs of Presbyterian Church as also of the evening view of the Police Bazar area. The face of Shillong appeared to have changed further since my last visit in 2007. Besides the predominant Khasis, non-Bengalee Indians were seen in larger numbers; Bengalee residents were fewer. At our times, we could see a sizeable number of Bengalee faces when we visited Police Bazar. 

Returned to the hotel in the evening. Shortly thereafter, my body revolted. I already had conjunctivitis. Seemingly. the cold had got better of me; I had not worn any warm clothes on my way to Shillong as I did not feel the chill. I now started feeling pain in the chest and the back accompanied by occasional breathing troubles. I could not be neglect it anymore. I somehow managed to reach a nearby medicine shop and bought Y-mox 500 capsules. After dinner, I had a dose of Y-Mox with a Paracef tablet; the latter, I had carried with me. I continued this dose 3 times a day for the next three days. That night I watched TV for some time with occasional discomfort and went to bed at around 10:45 pm. Slept under fear of something severe turning up late at night. By the grace of Almighty, nothing happened during the night. Incidentally, neither the room telephone nor the room buzzer was working that night.

On the 17th morning, I got up at 06:30 am, somewhat refreshed. Physically, I was much better; chest pain was there, but to a much lesser extent, though it was making its presence felt from time to time. I had my regular medicine for my thyroid after washing my mouth. Then had a cup of tea with biscuits and completed morning activities. Now it was time for going out.  

I had my breakfast, took a shared taxi from Police Bazar, and went to Laitumkhra, where we had our college. Moved around in the vicinity and took a few snapshots. Then, I took the downward path leading to the present location of St. Anthony’s College, from which I had graduated. After a few minutes’ walk, I reached the College premises. Last time, when I came in 2007, I could go only up to the statue of Jesus Christ at the entrance of the college; I had been in a hurry, and my wife had been with me. This time I was alone, and I had free time at hand. I went further and reached the College building. I was surprised to see the massive building, which had come up to house the College. The college also had isolated blocks around to accommodate the departments. The hostel with a capacity of 250 had been built at a higher elevation and remained connected to the college by a stairway. 

On entering the college building, I started looking around and taking photographs. A gentleman came out and wanted to know who I was and what I was doing. I told him my purpose and introduced myself as an ex-student of the college of the 1960s. On inquiry, I learnt that the gentleman was Br. Albert, the incumbent Principal of St. Anthony’s College. He was, however, not dressed as a missionary. When Br. Albert came to know that I was an ex-student on a visit to the College and had excelled in academic pursuit as a student of the college, he was visibly pleased. He took me around and showed me different departments and blocks. I learnt from him that the College had then 32 different departments with a student capacity of 3000. He also showed me the block accommodating the Fisheries Science Department, named after the Principal of our times, Rev. Fr. A. Joseph. It was gratifying to note this. During our discussions, Br. Albert called Prof. Fedrick, the Secretary of the College Alumni Association. Prof. Fedrick was also very courteous. He requested me to register as an alumnus of the college and invite other ex-Anthonians of my time known to me, to do similarly. He extended me a cordial invitation to join the Alumni meet in Shillong due in Oct-Nov 2014. I recorded my opinion about the College in the Visitor’s book and then left. Br. Albert and Prof. Fredrick saw me off at the gate. The college had undoubtedly made great progress over the years. It now has 32 departments against a few it had at our times. It is equipped with all modern amenities. I also saw records of excellence of the College in extra-curricular activities nicely preserved in the college. Yet, I felt something was missing in the air; the solemnity, the purposefulness. and the administrative acumen which we had experienced at our times were not visible.

I returned to Police Bazar and after having lunch in Baba’s hotel checked out from Hotel Broadway. I reached Guwahati by a shared taxi from Police Bazar. The taxi driver dropped me at the Prasanti Lodge in Guwahati on payment of extra money. This saved me from the difficult task of carrying my luggage through the over-bridge. After checking in at the lodge, I freshened up and rested.

On the way to Guwahati, I had discussed with the taxi driver his family background. His name was Dayal. Dayal was only 26 and married. His wife was 5-months' pregnant. His father was an artisan working with bamboo and cane. Incidentally, bamboos and canes are raw materials of great versatility and form an integral part of the lifestyle and the economy of Assam. The taxi which Dayal drove was not his own but a rented one.

After having rest at the lodge, I went to the office of ASTC and purchased the ticket for the next day’s journey to Kaziranga. The price of the ticket from Guwahati to Kaziranga by AC Deluxe service was Rs. 275. I had dinner at the Lodge that night.

The next day, March 21, I got up early. I was due to visit Majuli that day. Majuli was the largest inhabited riverine island in the world. It originally had an area of 1250 sq. Kms but erosion had reduced the area to 421.65 Sq. Kms. by 2001 Census. It was an island of the river Brahmaputra and closer to  Jorhat. Though I had lived in  Jorhat for the major part of my teens, leaving apart my childhood, I did not have the opportunity to visit Majuli that far. I left the Lodge at 7 am for Majuli. I had some biscuits and warm clothes in the side bag I carried with me.  I took an Omni van to reach Neamatighat from where ferry boat services for Majuli operated. I bought a bottle of mineral water at Neamatighat and boarded the motorboat. It was 8:30 a.m. The boat was due to leave at 9 o’clock. While waiting on the boat, I got a call from friend Malu. Malu had failed the previous day’s appointment and wanted to see me today. I told him that I was on my way to Majuli and would contact him on return in the evening. The motorboat left in time. I started getting the pinch of cold as the river breeze blew. I searched for the sweater, I thought I had brought it in my bag, but to my dismay, I found only a soft woollen cap there amongst other things. I had an attack of cold very recently in Shillong and had to be careful. Finding no other way, I folded the woolen cap and placed it inside the shirt, covering my chest as protection against the chilling river breeze. Thus protected, I sat on the edge seat of the boat, enjoying the scenic beauty around and taking photographs off and on.  After rowing through the Brahmaputra for a little over an hour, the boat reached Majuli. I and a family from Tripura jointly hired a car at the ferry ghat for sightseeing in Majuli. The car took us first to the central place called Kamalabari. There were shops of various descriptions here. 

Before leaving the lodge, I had been feeling out of sorts; I was having bilious eructation. I did not eat anything, except water, at the lodge or on the way. As I reached Majuli, I felt eructation had worsened. I bought a bottle of antacid gel Diagene from a medicine shop at Kamalabari and had two capfuls of it. I continued the journey. The things worth seeing at Majuli were a large number of very old Satras7 (possibly meaning Naam Ghars or Prayer House, an inseparable part of Assamese socio-religious life.) We moved around five such satras and took photographs. It appeared that Rashjatra was a very popular festival there. There were separate halls for Rashjatra near some of the important satras.

During my visit, I learnt from local people that migratory birds came to Majuli in winter in large numbers, and this was an added attraction to tourists.  We saw two birds belonging to the crane family. Possibly these birds were of a local variety. Majuli was an eco-friendly place. There was greenery in abundance here. The roads had plants and trees on both sides.

The economy of Majuli was based on agriculture, with paddy as the chief crop. Majuli had a rich and diverse agricultural tradition with as many as a hundred different varieties of paddy grown without the application of pesticides or fertilisers. Among the fascinating arrays of rice produced was Komal Saul, a unique variety of rice that could be eaten just after immersing in warm water for fifteen minutes and usually eaten as breakfast cereal. Fishing, dairying, pottery, handloom, and boat-making are other economic activities. There is no industry as such here.  Among the cottage industries were handloom, bamboo-crafts, and to a lesser extent mask-making. We visited a household engaged in mask-making and were quite impressed by the varieties and colours of masks. Handloom is a major occupation here. Although largely a non-commercial occupation, it keeps many of the inhabitants occupied. Weaving is exquisite and intricate with the use of a variety of colours and textures of cotton and silk.  We had visited a tribal village, where a young tribal girl, belonging to the Mishing community, had shown us the technique of operating a loom. Karabi was around 18 or 19 and had been doing her B. A. in the local Majuli College. They wove mainly shawls and improvised towels (gamchha) for their use. Some unemployed youths were engaged in Tourism transport which usually flourished in winter when people from distant places in India and outside visit the island.  Some of these youths operate taxis while some others take visitors on the motorbikes for sightseeing.

Majuli had been predominantly inhabited by tribals, mostly of Mising and Deuri clans. People of Majuli, despite their limitations, were politically active. I came upon a poster (a pic of it is in the left panel) at a prominent place in the road junction in Kamalabari calling for the participation of people in a movement against corruption. Majuli had schools and a college.

I was to return by the last ferry, which was to leave Majuli at 3:30 pm. But I had not been feeling well. I had skipped food all through the day, but eructation had not subsided. I had earlier cut-short visits to some of the Satras in concurrence with fellow visitors. I advanced my return and boarded the ferry leaving Majuli at 1:30 pm. I reached the Lodge at Jorhat at 3:30 pm, went straight to my room, and lay down. 

There was no appetite despite having no food since last night. The stomach appeared full and heavy. Somehow I managed to go to a nearby medicine shop and buy a few medicines for indigestion. On my return to the lodge, I took one sachet of Omega Insta in a cup of water. After a while, I vomited out most of the undigested food particles. I then felt somewhat relieved. I telephoned Malu, informed him of my condition, and asked him to come the next morning. I took only some ORS solution that night and slept.

13. MY SHORT TRIP TO MARIANI-JORHAT IN ASSAM - 2014

In my exploratory trip to Assam in March 2014, I had gone alone. When I had visited my elder sister during that trip, she had expressed a desire to see my wife; she had not seen her for quite some time. She asked me to take my wife along in the course of the next two years. Due to subsequent developments viz., 'death of my sister's daughter's mother-in-law and my elder brother's wife (my bowdi) in quick succession, I thought it would not be prudent to wait for another two years for my wife to visit my sister. My sister had already crossed 80 years of age. We were also aging. In the fitness of things, my wife should visit my sister at the earliest to fulfil the latter’s desire. Besides, my grandson’s school would be closed for the summer vacation in May-June, during which we, too, would have some free time. I, therefore, planned a very quick trip to Mariani, the place where my sister stayed, to be followed by a very short stay at my niece's place at Jorhat. Accordingly, I, accompanied by my wife, took an afternoon flight to Guwahati on the 26th of May, 2014. We stayed overnight at Guwahati at Prasanti Tourist Lodge. The next morning, we left for Mariani by the early morning train Jana Satabdi Express and reached Mariani at around 12:30 PM. My sister, nephew, and his wife were all very happy to have us amongst them.

We stayed at Mariani up to 2nd June 2014. I had a plan to visit Jorhat and stay there for the 1st and the 2nd June. For this, I had also booked accommodation at Prasanti Lodge at Jorhat, as my niece had been having water availability problems in their house at that time.  However, my wife fell ill on the morning of the 31st May, and I had to cancel the programme at Jorhat. Instead, we extended our stay at Mariani. 

Mariani was a small railway town, and there was nothing much of interest. Finally, on the 3rd of June in the morning,  we left for Jorhat by a hired car reaching at around 10:15 am. Had breakfast at my niece’s house, and then I went out. I visited JB College, DCB Road, and adjoining areas to enliven old-time memories and locate a house that was of special interest to me; I had not covered these areas in my previous visits. Later, we had lunch at my niece's house and left Jorhat at 2:10 pm by Janasatabdi Express.

We reached Guwahati at 9-30 pm the same evening and halted for the night at Prasanti Lodge.

The next morning at around 7 am, we went out, visited Sukreswar Temple and Jonardhan Temple, both being on the same premise. I took some photographs of the exterior and the interior of the temple. I had earlier taken some family photographs at Jorhat. These are posted here in the electronic album below.

Last time, I had missed the Sukreswar temple when visiting the Jonardhan Temple during my visit to Guwahati, though both the temples were located within the same premise.  I have penned the details about the Janardhan temple in my travel story of the previous visit. 

The Sukreswar Temple is an important Shiva temple in Guwahati. The temple is located on the Sukreswar or Itakhuli hill on the south bank of the river Brahmaputra in the Panbazar area of Guwahati city. Leading down from the temple compound is a long flight of steps to the river. Sitting on the steps of Sukreswar Ghat, one can enjoy the scenery of the sun setting on the river, boats moving across the river, people performing puja in honour of their relatives who have left this world, children, and older people bathing. It is believed to have been constructed in 1744 by Ahom King Pramatta Singha (1744–1751).King Rajeswar Singha (1751–69) also promoted the  Saiva cult cause and made financial provisions for the Sukreswar Temple in 1759. 

From Sukreswar Temple, we returned to the lodge, had our bath, and then lunch. We checked out from the lodge at12 noon, reached the airport by a hired taxi, and returned to Kolkata by an afternoon flight.

 A short electronic Album on that visit is placed below.